IMMIGRATION IN THE

UNITED STATES

CAMERON SEGER AND OWEN HECKMAN

NATION OF
IMMIGRANTS?

Figure 1
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=nation+of+immigrants&case_insensitive=on&year_start=180
0&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cnation%20of%20immigrants%3B
%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bnation%20of%20immigrants%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BNation%20of%20Immigrants%3
B%2Cc0%3B%3BNATION%20OF%20IMMIGRANTS%3B%2Cc0
ONE NATION?

Figure 2
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=one+nation+indivisible%2C+one+nation+under+god&case_insensitive=on&ye
ar_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cone%20nation%20indivisible%3B%2C
c0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bone%20nation%20indivisible%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BOne%20Nation%20Indivisible%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BO
ne%20nation%20indivisible%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bone%20Nation%20indivisible%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BOne%20Nation%20indivisibl
e%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BONE%20NATION%20INDIVISIBLE%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cone%20nation%20under%20god%3B%
2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bone%20nation%20under%20God%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BOne%20Nation%20Under%20God%3B%2Cc
0%3B%3Bone%20Nation%20under%20God%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BOne%20nation%20under%20God%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BOne%
20Nation%20under%20God%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BONE%20NATION%20UNDER%20GOD%3B%2Cc0
ONE NATION? (cont.)

Figure 3
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=american+nation&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1800&ye
ar_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Camerican%20nation%3B%2Cc0%3B
%2Cs0%3B%3BAmerican%20nation%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BAmerican%20Nation%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BAMERIC
AN%20NATION%3B%2Cc0
PRE-FOUNDING

Figure 4
https://www.quora.com/When-and-from-which-country-were-the-first-Asian-immigrants-to-the-Americas
PRE-FOUNDING
(cont.)

Figure 5
http://www.philatelicdatabase.com/maps/map-of-spanish-colonies-in-the-americas/
ORIGIN OF
IMMIGRATION BY
CONTINENT OVER HALF
CENTURIES

Figure 6
Pie graphs of origins of immigrants over half centuries
found on www.dailymail.co.uk
IMMIGRATION FLOW

Figure 7
Graph of the U.S Immigration flows by country found onaun-
tv.com
IMMIGRATION FLOWS
(cont.)

Figure 8
Percentage of
population as
immigrants found on
cato.org
FOUNDING DEAD-
ZONE

Figure 9
https://archive.org/details/harvardencyclope00ther
WHY EARLY IMMIGRATION IS
TOO LOW
● Strict immigration police - Immigration act of 1790 was
limited to “Free Whites of good character”
● Lower economic opportunities
● Expensive crossing
● Long ocean crossing
● Stronger local ordinances
● Property requirements for voting
● Relatively low standard of living
END OF THE ERA

Figure 10
https://future-economics.com/2015/02/13/americas-internal-environmental-geopolitics/
REASONS FOR IMMIGRATION
INCREASES
PUSH FACTORS
● Irish potato famine
● Wars of Spanish and Austrian succession
● Cheaper crossing of the Atlantic

PULL FACTORS
● End of 1790 immigration act
● Universal suffrage
● Industrial revolution
● Opening of the West
IMMIGRATION FROM
1820 TO 1860

Figure 11
Immigration in the early 1800s found on
websupport1.citytech.cuny.edu
ASSIMILATION?

Figure 12
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/us/politics/09king.html
IMMIGRATION ACT
OF 1917
•First act to prohibit immigration from a particular region or
country
•“prohibited immigration from any country that was on or
adjacent to Asia but was "not owned by the U.S."
•Considered first major step towards strict immigration laws
ZOGBY FAMILY

Figure 13
Picture of James Zogby found on Aaiusa.org
EUROPEAN
IMMIGRATION: 1880-
1920

Figure 14
https://www.nycgo.com/attractions/statue-of-liberty-national-monument
ELLIS ISLAND

Figure 15
http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2014/10/17/the-hot-foul-sultry-air-of-ellis-island/books/squaring-off/
ELLIS ISLAND
PROCESS
1. Quarantine
2. Medical Examination
3. Interrogation and Exam
HIP SINGS AND ON
LEONGS
Figure 4

Figure 16
Picture of Hip Sings and On Leongs found on Nydailynews.com
ASSIMILATION?

Figure 17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8xIBB2igNg
1921-1965 QUOTA
SYSTEM

Figure 18
https://www.nps.gov/articles/closing-the-door-on-immigration.htm
HART-CELLER ACT

Figure 19
http://immigrationtounitedstates.org/594-immigration-and-nationality-act-of-1965.html
ILLEGALS

Figure 20
https://cis.org/Report/Immigration-and-Crime
ILLEGALS (cont.)

Figure 21
https://cis.org/Report/Immigration-and-Crime
US INCARCERATION
RATES

Figure 22
https://www.bop.gov/about/statisti
cs/
POST 9/11

Figure 23
Twin Towers found on
orientalreview.org
HOMELAND
SECURITY

Figure 24
Department of Homeland Security Seal on
dhs.gov
DEPORTATIONS

Figure 25
Program Removals found on cls.org
MODERN SOURCES

Figure 26
Mirgrationpolicy.org
 ECONOMICS
IT’S COMPLICATED

ADD SOURCES
PRO ARGUMENTS
● More labor increases GDP
● Labor markets too tight
● Average high qualifications
● Ability to lower wages
ANTI ARGUMENTS
● Drives down wages
● Regression to the mean
● Remittances
● Reduces innovation
● Reduces wages
QUESTIONS?

Figure 29

https://www.canstockphoto.co.uk/united-states-immigration-
word-cloud-30095991.html
WORKS CITED
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=nation+of+immigrants&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1800&year_e
nd=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cnation%20of%20immigrants%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0
%3B%3Bnation%20of%20immigrants%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BNation%20of%20Immigrants%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BNATION%
20OF%20IMMIGRANTS%3B%2Cc0
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=one+nation+indivisible%2C+one+nation+under+god&case_insensitive
=on&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cone%20nation%20indi
visible%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bone%20nation%20indivisible%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BOne%20Nation%20Indivisible
%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BOne%20nation%20indivisible%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bone%20Nation%20indivisible%3B%2Cc0%3B
%3BOne%20Nation%20indivisible%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BONE%20NATION%20INDIVISIBLE%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2
Cone%20nation%20under%20god%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bone%20nation%20under%20God%3B%2Cc0%3B
%3BOne%20Nation%20Under%20God%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bone%20Nation%20under%20God%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BOn
e%20nation%20under%20God%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BOne%20Nation%20under%20God%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BONE%20N
ATION%20UNDER%20GOD%3B%2Cc0
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=american+nation&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1800&year_end=2
000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Camerican%20nation%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3BAm
erican%20nation%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BAmerican%20Nation%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BAMERICAN%20NATION%3B%2Cc0
https://www.quora.com/When-and-from-which-country-were-the-first-Asian-immigrants-to-the-Americas
http://www.philatelicdatabase.com/maps/map-of-spanish-colonies-in-the-americas/
www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3581712/Watch-two-centuries-immigration-Incredible-animation-shows-
populations-arrived-America-1820.html.
aun-tv.com/2016/02/theres-nothing-irrational-about-donald-trumps-appeal-to-working-class-people-charles-murray/.
https://www.cato.org/blog/defending-green-cards
WORKS CITED (cont.)
https://archive.org/details/harvardencyclope00ther
https://future-economics.com/2015/02/13/americas-internal-environmental-geopoliticsa
websupport1.citytech.cuny.edu/faculty/pcatapano/IMM/firstwave2010.html.
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/us/politics/09king.html
James Zogby.” Aaiusa.org,
www.aaiusa.org/2015_harvard_arab_weekend_keynote_address_by_dr_james_zogby.
https://www.nycgo.com/attractions/statue-of-liberty-national-monument
http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2014/10/17/the-hot-foul-sultry-air-of-ellis-island/books/squaring-off
Hip Sings and On Leongs.” Nydailynews.com, www.nydailynews.com/new-york/tong-wars-reveals-feuding-gangs-
chinatown-article-1.2714292.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8xIBB2igNg
https://www.nps.gov/articles/closing-the-door-on-immigration.htm
http://immigrationtounitedstates.org/594-immigration-and-nationality-act-of-1965.html
https://cis.org/Report/Immigration-and-Crime
https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/
Oriental Review, New York City, 9 Dec. 2014, orientalreview.org/2014/09/12/911-after-13-years/.
Department of Homeland Security Seal. Department of Homeland Security,
June 2003, www.dhs.gov/.
Removals by Program: 2008-2013. Jessica M. Vaughan, 30 Oct.
2013, cis.org/Report/Deportation-Numbers- Unwrapped